


what whispers the grave

by erlkoenig



Series: Terrifying Tolkien Week 2017 [4]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Horror, Gen, I'm sorry Fingolfin, Mairon experiments with necromancy much to the horror of everyone, Necromancy, Terrifying Tolkien Week, The Iron Price, hooooo boy this is some serious canon divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 11:08:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12556092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erlkoenig/pseuds/erlkoenig
Summary: He should be dead, but that voice is drawing him from this fitful sleep with plucking little fingers, pinching and pulling him to his feet.Wake up.





	what whispers the grave

**Author's Note:**

> day four: the iron price

There is a voice whispering against his ear, _wake up._ His eyelids feel heavy, his fingers are cold and his body is not doing what he tells it to do.

_Wake up._

He can barely remember the feel of hot, black blood on his hands, burning through his gauntlets and steaming in the cold air. The feel of a boot on his neck, the snap and give of bones broken as easily as dry twigs. The pain had been brief, a lightning flash over so soon that he could not even draw in a final breath, could not even scream.

And now, _now._

He should be dead, but that voice is drawing him from this fitful sleep with plucking little fingers, pinching and pulling him to his feet. His head lolls back, tilted at a sharp angle.

“There we are.” When he opens his eyes, the Maia is smiling at him, something twisted into fondness and full of false affection. “Did you sleep well, Nolofinwë?”

Sound catches in his throat, gurgles around clots of dried blood. He cannot speak, and Mairon does not seem to expect an answer. 

“The bones here will never heal properly,” Mairon’s fingers touch his neck, push and prod at the jutting bone beneath the skin. “But it will do, I suppose. Lean your head a little to the left.”

He moves automatically, shoulders jerking as he tries to tilt his head. He cannot stop it, and the horror of it presses behind his teeth in a scream. _Nononono, please no_

“I imagine your children will be happy to see you again,” Mairon continues, uncaring. He gestures, twirls his finger in a small circle and Nolofinwë’s body responds, turns slowly so that the Maia can look over his work fully. “Short-lived though that happiness will be. I have such great designs for you, little one.”

He wants to scream but it comes out only as wet, ragged breaths through cracked lips. Mairon watches him with that same cruel smile, relishing every moment of this. Crooks his finger and Nolofinwë lurches forward a step, body bending slightly at the waist in some half-bow before his feet drag him forward another jerky step.

“What did you think would happen when you challenged my lord? Did you think you would find victory here? No,” His smile widens, stretches unnaturally across his face with too many teeth and Nolofinwë can taste blood in his own mouth. “You wished for death, you wished for this nightmare to be over.” 

Mairon’s hand darts out, grabs hold of Nolofinwë’s wrist tight and pulls him, staggering forward. “I will take everything from you,” he hisses against his ear, “Your noble death, your children, everything you hold dear. And you, little king, you will see to it yourself.”

**Author's Note:**

> nelyafinwes.tumblr.com


End file.
